Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment available online today

Learn about multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. It causes the body's immune system to mistakenly attack its own tissues.

With MS, the immune system destroys the fatty substance that coats and protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord (myelin sheath). This layer surrounds the nerve, protecting them and helping electrical signals travel from the brain to the rest of the body.

Over time, multiple sclerosis can cause permanent damage to nerve cells.

Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, treatment strategies can help improve symptom management and slow disease progression.

How to treat MS

Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, there are treatment options that can help make symptoms manageable, speed up the recovery from attacks, and slow disease progression.

Depending on your symptoms, your treatment plan might include:

• Disease-modifying therapists (DMTs): The FDA has approved several disease-modifying drugs for MS treatment. These drugs can help reduce relapsing MS (also called flare-ups or acute episodes). Disease-modifying therapies slow the disease progression and prevent the formation of new multiple sclerosis lesions.

• Relapse management medications: If you have a serious multiple sclerosis flare-up, your doctor may recommend corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and damage to the myelin sheath.

• Physical therapy: Multiple sclerosis can affect physical function. Staying physically fit and attending physical therapy can help you maintain physical function.

• Mental health counseling: Living with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis can feel overwhelming, and multiple sclerosis can affect your mood and memory. Mental health counseling can help you find emotional support and manage the disease.
  

Lifestyle changes you can make

Lifestyle changes play an important role in MS treatment. The choices you make can help slow the disease process, reduce flare-ups, and improve MS symptoms.

Healthy lifestyle changes that can help with symptom management include:

• Eating a balanced diet: Doctors recommend a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein. Consider limiting your intake of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and processed foods.

• Exercising regularly: Multiple sclerosis can cause muscle stiffness, weakness, and difficulty walking. Aerobic exercise and strength training can help you build muscle and maintain physical function.

• Finding sustainable stress management strategies: Stress can take a toll on your physical and emotional health. It is essential to find healthy strategies to cope with stress, such as exercise, therapy, and meditation.

• Avoiding cigarettes and alcohol: Smoking and drinking alcohol are both linked to worsening MS symptoms.

When to see a doctor for multiple sclerosis

Talk to your doctor if you experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Vision loss in one or both eyes

• Acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body

• Numbness and tingling in your limbs

• Imbalance

• Double vision

Receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is an important step, and long-term support from your medical team can help you manage the disease. For many MS patients, early treatment is essential to ensuring the best prognosis.